Automatic Built-in Air Nozzle

ABSTRACT

An automatic air nozzle includes a valve adapted to engage with a peripheral side face defining an air path inside an inflatable object. A cam has a radial edge connected to the valve and an axial axis connected to a motor so as to drive the valve to move linearly relative to the inflatable object to open/close the air path automatically.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 11/432,461, filed May 11, 2006 and claims priority to China Patent Application No. 200510034640.5, filed May 18, 2005. The entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an automatic built-in air nozzle and, more particularly, to an automatic built-in air nozzle to automatically close an air path in an inflatable object once the inflatable object is sufficiently inflated.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventional air nozzle is provided for inflatable products, such as an inflatable swimming pool, animal-figured toys, inflatable mattress, inflatable furniture or the like. After an air pump has been used to pump air into the inflatable product, in order to prevent air leakage from the air nozzle, a cap is provided to manually block an air path of the conventional air nozzle. Even when the air nozzle is unidirectional, so having a self-sealing function, the cap is still required since the unidirectional air nozzle can not fully prevent escape of air from the inflatable product. However, removing and replacing the cap for inflating and deflating the inflatable product is tiresome.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved automatic air nozzle to mitigate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an automatic air nozzle to automatically close an air path inside an inflatable object. The automatic air nozzle is provided with a valve operably connected to a motor such that the motor is able to control movement of the valve to closed/open the air path in the inflated/deflated object. The valve is connected to a cam directly connected to the motor and the valve is provided with a recoil spring to maintain the valve and close the air path inside the inflatable object such that rotation of the cam controls the open/closed of the air path in the object.

It is noted that the design of using the motor in-place of a solenoid driven automatic valve system is better, because the motor design is cheaper in cost; does not overheat due to continuous operation; and requires less space.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic air nozzle in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an operational perspective view of the automatic air nozzle in FIG. 1, showing operation of an valve to open an air path inside the object;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the automatic air nozzle mounted inside an inflatable object;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the inflatable object having a backrest bladder and a leg-rest bladder inflated by the automatic air nozzle of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the backrest bladder inflated to form an armchair;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the leg-rest bladder inflated to form a bed;

FIGS. 7A to 7D are schematic top plan views showing that the activation of the automatic air nozzle may be controlled via cables; and

FIGS. 8A to 8D are schematic top plan views showing that the activation of the automatic air nozzle may be controlled via wireless methods.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, an automatic built-in air nozzle for an inflatable product in accordance with the present invention is embedded in an inflatable object (5). The inflatable object (5) may be integrated with a pump casing, is preferably made of a plastic material and has an air path (51). The automatic built-in air nozzle comprises a motor (3), a cam (27), a valve disk (12) and a connection seat (11). The cam (27) is connected to and is driven by the motor (3) via an axial rod (270) and has a protrudent head (271) protruding from a radial edge of the cam (27). The valve disk (12) is formed on a bottom end of the connection seat (11) which has a connection block (14) formed on a top end thereof to be selectively abutted by the radial edge and the protrudent head (271) of the cam (27). Furthermore, a recoil spring (15) is mounted around the connection seat (11) and sandwiched between a bottom face of the connection block (14) and a side face adjacent to the air path (51) of the inflatable object (5) to maintain the valve disk (12) to close the air path (51) at all times when the motor (3) is not activated.

When the motor (3) is activated and the cam (27) is rotated via the motor (3), connection of the protrudent head (271) to the connection block (14) forces the connection seat (11) as well as the valve disk (12) to move away from the air path (51) so as to allow air to move into/away from the inflatable object (5).

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, an inflatable mattress (5′) is shown and has a controller (4) and a casing (41) embedded inside the inflatable mattress (5′). The automatic air nozzle as described is installed inside the casing (41). The inflatable mattress (5′) further has a backrest bladder (51′) located at an upper portion of the inflatable mattress (5′) and a leg-rest bladder (52) located at a lower portion of the inflatable mattress (5′). In order to inflate the backrest bladder (51′) and the leg-rest bladder (52), the inflatable mattress (5′) may be provided with a single pump or multiple pumps to inflate the bladders.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, an inflatable mattress (6) has a backrest bladder (61) located at an upper portion of the inflatable mattress (6) and a leg-rest bladder (62) located at a lower portion of the inflatable mattress (6). When the backrest bladder (61) is inflated, the inflatable mattress (6) becomes a chair. When the leg-rest bladder (62) is inflated but not the backrest bladder (61), the inflatable mattress (6) becomes a bed. It is also known in the art that the backrest bladder (61) and the leg-rest bladder (62) may be combined into one via a well known method in the art.

With reference to FIGS. 7A to 7D and 8A to 8D, the activation of the motor of the present invention may be controlled via a cable controlled method or via a wireless control method.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. An automatic air nozzle for an inflatable object having an air path formed in the inflatable object, the automatic air nozzle comprising: a valve adapted to engage with a peripheral side face defining the air path; a cam having a radial edge adjacent to the valve; and a motor adapted to be embedded inside the inflatable object and connected to the cam so as to drive the valve to move relative to the inflatable object to open/close the air path automatically.
 2. The automatic air nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cam further has an axial rod connected to the motor; and a protrudent head protruding from the radial edge of the cam; a connection seat is formed on a top of the valve; a connection block formed on a top of the connection seat and selectively abuts the radial edge and the protrudent head of the cam; and a recoil spring mounted around the connection seat to maintain the air path closed via the valve such that activation of the motor and the engagement of the protrudent head with the connection block is able to force the valve away from the periphery defining the air path to allow air to flow into/away from the inflatable object.
 3. The automatic air nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve is moved linearly via the motor.
 4. The automatic air nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inflatable object is integrated with a pump casing
 5. An automatic air nozzle for an inflatable product having an inflatable object integrated in the inflatable product; wherein the inflatable object having an air path formed therein, the automatic air nozzle comprising: a valve adapted to engage with a peripheral side face defining the air path; a cam having a radial edge adjacent to the valve; and a motor adapted to be embedded inside the inflatable object and connected to the cam so as to drive the valve to move relative to the inflatable object to open/close the air path automatically. 